Stair layout tool



Jan. 10, 1950 Filed July 19, 1946 E. VAN WINKLE 2,494,462

STAIR LAYOUT Toor.

2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTE RN EYB Jan. 10, 1950 E, VAN WINKLE 2,494,462

STAIR LAYOUT TOOL Filed July 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTCJ RNEYS Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE s'rAm LAYoUT Toor. Elmore Van Winkle, Lai Porte, Ind; Application July 19, 194.6,serai No. 684,932

My present invention relates to lan improved tool fand more particularly to a tool for use by carpenters in laying out stairway stringers to be routed or grooved to receive the treads and risers.

The tool of my invention embodies angularly disposed legs having indicia thereon indicating the proportions of the treads and risers and having the edges of the respective legs yof the tool divergent in order that when the tool is used as a guide for scribing the lay out of the tread and riser grooves, the grooves will be divergent to receive the conventional wedges employed to aix the treads and risers in the Stringer.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical ernbodiment of my invention according to the Ibest mode I have thus far devised but it will be understood that various changes andalterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings-v Figure 1 is a top Vplan view of the stair layout tool of my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the dovetail connections.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view |at line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a modied nose `for use with my tool.

Figure 6 shows a further modied nose.

Figure l is a view showing my tool in place on a stringer.

Figure 8 shows a stringer with the grooves routed.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of my tool.

Figure 10 is a sectional view of the Stringer and tread.

Figure l1 is a plan view of a folding type of tool.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same at line IZ-I 2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the bolt unlatched.

Figure 14 is a transverse sectional View at line Ill-I4 of Figure ll.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the latch.

Figure 16 is a plan view of the folding type of tool with the leg folded.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts, I have illustrated the tool of my invention consisting of a riser describlng` arm 2 having .a diverging edge 3, and a tread describing arm 4 having a diverging edge 5. These two arms are disposed at right angles to each other, and at the joint of the arms 2 and 4 I have provided `a socket S having a beveled inner wall for the reception vof the nose 1 having a dovetailed lug v8 for insertion in the socket. This nose l' when attached tothe layout tool forms the guide for the nose or overlap contour of the tread, and other nose forms may well be employed with my tool as illustrated in the drawings, the nose 'la having lug 8a., and the nose Ib having lug 8b.

The extending `end of the' armi 4 is fashioned with a notch e formed with its inner walls beveled to receive the arm extension I having a, lug Il' beveled to co-act with the notch 9.' When not in use this armextension maybe removed to conserve space and make the carrying of the tool easier, and its removal is accomplished by merely pulling -on the extension l0 to remove they lug from the notch.

In Figures 7, 8,. and IU I have illustrated the conventional Stringer 2.0 employed as a support for stairways, and the use and manner of utilization of my tool is illustrated therein. 'Ihe tool is placed lon the Stringer after having determined the depth of the tread and the height of the riser, and by following the outer edges of the tool with a pencil the grooves 22 and 24 to be routed will be laid out on the Stringer. These grooves are then routed and the stringers are ready to receive the treads 28 and risers 30. Wedges 26 yoi? conventional design are employed to secure the treads and risers in the grooves cut therefor.

In Figures 1 and 9 I have shown the markings or indicia on the arrn of the tool and these markings may -be employed to measure the Stringer for the risers and treads. The arm 2 is marked in inches while the arm Ill is marked in half inches.

In the form of Figures 11 through 16 I have illustrated a modification of my invention wherein the tool arm is folding rather than removable, and in this form the arms 32 and 34 are provided with a notch to receive the nose 35 and lug 38. The arm 32 is undercut at 4B however and terminates in a diagonal face 42. A notch 44 in this face receives the bolt of the latch hereinafter described.

A folding extension for the arm is indicated as at l5 pivotally secured on the arm 32 as at 48, and a latch is countersunk in this arm extension. The latch is grooved at 5I and the iace plate 52 overlaps to the grooves to receive and retain therein the ribs 53 of the arm extension 45. The face plate is secured on the latch bar by meansfof a screw 54, and the bolt extends forwardly from the latch to engage the notch 54 as stated above. The bolt may be retracted from '."engagement with the notch by sliding the latch away therefrom the grooves of the latch sliding on the ribs of the arm extension. Thus with the bolt withdrawn from the notch, and the latch retracted, the arm extension may be swung on its pivot 48 to the position shown in Figure 16 for ease and facility of carrying.

By the use of the tool of my invention, many hours of labor will be saved, as all necessary data is carried on the tool, and after the preliminary determination of the height of the risers and the depth of the treads, the tool may be simply employed by a carpenter to guide the scribing of the grooves. No further measuring or marking tool is required.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a stair Stringer tread and riser measuring the describing tool, the combination which comprises an elongated tread describing arm having a graduated straight outer edge with a sloping inner edge providing a narrow end and a wide end, said arm having a dovetailed nose carrying socket in one side and an extension on the said narrow end with the extension extended from the edge on which the sloping surface is positioned, said extension positioned with the outer edge thereof perpendicular to the outer graduated edge of the tread describing arm, and having a beveled diagonally disposed outer end with a latch bar receiving notch therein, and said extension having a recess with an arcuate inner end in one side thereof, a nose extended from the narrow end of said tread describing arm having a tongue with beveled edges positioned in the dovetailed nose carrying socket of the arm, a riser describing arm having a straight graduated outer edge with a sloping inner edge providing a narrow inner end and a wide outer end and having a tongue with an arcuate end edge ex- 4 tended from the said narrow inner end and positioned in the recess of the extension of the tread describing arm and with the arcuate end thereof nested in the arcuate end surface of the recess of the said extension of the tread describing arm with the riser describing arm extended for use, a pin extended through the tongue of the riser describing arm and extension of the tread describing arm for pivotally connecting the arms whereby the riser describing arm is foldable to a position parallel to the tread describing arm with the tool collapsed for storing, said riser describing arm having a beveled shoulder at the inner end of the tongue positioned to coact with the beveled end of the extension of the tread describing arm and with the said arcuate surfaces for retaining the riser describing arm in the extended position in relation to the tread describing arm, said riser describing arm also having a slot therein, a T-shaped latch bar slidably mounted in the slot of the riser describing arm and having a tongue extended into the notch in the beveled end of the extension for iocking the riser describing arm in the extended position, a clamping plate positioned against the said latch bar for retaining the latch bar in the said slot, and a screw extended through the said plate and threaded into the said latch bar for securing the said latch bar in the position of retaining' the riser describing arm extended for use.

ELMORE VAN WINKLE REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '650,992 Sawyer June 5, 1900 659,032 Larsen Oct. 2, 1900 1,126,049 McCleary Jan. 26, 1915 

